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“Healthgoth is a fitness subculture, but not constrained to people in subcultures. It’s a way to cut through the bulls--t,” Love says.

The success of Love’s viral Healthgoth Manifesto video on YouTube and his underground parties have brought him international fame. He toured his pop-up gym installations, making stops across America from Chicago to Austin for SXSW (Love’s Soft Leather dance party recently touched down in Toronto); Love and his posse walk participants through a series of exercises from his three-day free-weights routine, while DJs keep the energy levels up.

It all started when, going into his early 30s, Love had been on tour for months when he noticed things happening to his body.

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“It was a gradual progress of my own fattening up with my face getting rounder and I looked really soft,” he said.

DJ Johnny Love (in Dead shirt) is serious about fitness.

He did what lots of people do when they need fitness advice and asked a more experienced friend for tips. He got the classic response, “Do you want to build muscle or lose weight?”

Being on tour and not having a workout routine or gym membership, his options were limited but the weight loss solution he got was simple.

His current routine is not unlike many others you might encounter at the gym.

“There’s a chest and biceps day, back and triceps day, and leg and shoulders day. And if there’s room, we do an abs routine. Sure, everybody wants to focus on abs, but our free weight routine secondarily engages the core so that gets covered. If you still have strength at the end of day three, you can do a last calf exercises until your legs are burning and its time to go home. If you’re sore, then you’re doing a good job.”

The Healthgoth fashion esthetic emerged from the Internet, inspired by avant-garde designers, like the Rick Owens and Alexander Wangs of the world.

“Their loose and drapey clothes were good at the time when I was out of shape. I’m glad that it was in style at the time, but now it’s dovetailed into fitness and I’m trying to find the shortest shorts possible so I can show off,” Love jokes.

As the fitness trend has gone global, mainstream designers like Nike, Under Armour and Adidas are creating specialized lines to fill the growing “alternative” activewear niche.

“That’s the most accessible part of it,” says Love. “A lot of people just buy the big sports names they see because they want to participate but then they’re not really, they’re just buying an Adidas track suit and saying they’re Healthgoth. That’s fine. There’s no point in getting mad about it. You can’t police everyone.”

Shopping list

Leather, pleather, studs and black denim jeans don’t make for the best workout material. Deck yourself out in specialized goods from these Toronto shops or opt for muted tones from Under Armour or Lululemon that suit your brooding Nautilus and free weights routine.

Ardith: The west end shop has collected edgier lines of innovative mesh-heavy, tie-dyed and animal-print workout wear from brands like Michi, Lucas Hugh, Vancouver’s Daub + Design and Toronto’s Hoi Bo. While most are female focused, some could compliment a unisex look if you’re willing to go there. 373 Roncesvalles Ave.

Nomad: Incorporate the latest Fear of God tanks, Nike Tech Fleece shorts and Raf Simons Velcro sneakers into your training sessions thanks to the Queen West bastion of cutting edge menswear, also known for stocking Japanese Comme Des Garcons scents and sweats for a post-workout glow. 819 Queen St. W.

Haven: With their first brick and mortar shop in Edmonton, Haven has Japanese avant-garde and sporty deep in their DNA stocking limited runs of Junya Watanabe contemporary TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist’s line, oversized reflective running ponchos from Barbour & White Mountaineering, and the latest collaborative designer supergroup, ACRONYM and Stone Island’s Shadow Project.

145 Berkley St.

Adidas Originals: It’s impossible to ignore the originator and first choice for healthgoth enthusiasts who covet collaborations with designers like Japan’s Neighbourhood and London’s Mary Katrantzou. Summer 2015’s inflatable car tire-inspired Tubular sneaker collection may give Nike’s Roshe Runs a run for their money. 389 Queen St. W.

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